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Good morning, Madison!!! I've decided that after persevering from flooding, blizzards (including the companion polar vortex temperatures), and now power outages during one of the hottest days on record, we are all entitled to crank up the volume on Kelly Clarkson's hit record "Stronger" when she gets to the self-empowerment line (referring to her break-up with a beau) that goes: "You tried to break me but you see, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" :) So kudos and accolades to everyone for adapting and overcoming the trials and tribulations of Friday!
Whether it be an act of nature or an unanticipated crisis that puts people in harm's way or wreaks havoc on our ability to be sheltered or to go about our daily lives with access to food, water, electricity, etc., it's a big deal. Yesterday was such an event and, by practice and regrettable repetitions, the City is getting more proficient with each "event." That said, each incident has its own set of unique circumstances which pose challenges that must be overcome---and are---through the collaboration and problem solving measures applied at the City/County/State levels.
Your blog entry for today is a little light on "calls" today largely because of the byproducts lingering from yesterday. MPD was on "priority calls only" from roughly 7:41 am until midnight. Intersections being without power, working fire scenes in need of perimeter support, traffic direction and a host of other tasks resulted in shifts being held over, more shifts being called in early, and ALL commissioned personnel were put in uniform and into the field. Squads were doubled up most of the day, and there was only one working channel to dispatch police calls for the entire City (normally, we have at least two channels to split the City into east/west configurations, as well as tactical channels dedicated to calls which require their own "space" in order to not confuse or digress from the main channels). Then the system which numbers and tracks all of our incidents went out of service. Given the fact that the City-County Building lost power (including Wi-Fi), we had to vacate the premises and conduct operations from the Midtown District which, thankfully, was designed and built to have a separate generator with an incident command room to conduct the affairs of the MPD for just such a situation as we had yesterday.
In sum, the numbers reflected are not the most accurate reflection of the plethora of calls or activities conducted by our officers, detectives, investigators and civilian staff on Friday. I never cease to be amazed at the incredible resolve and resiliency of the human condition and people committed to overcoming adversity in spite of all odds. Take a bow, Madison, you've earned it!
The information contained in my blog is derived from notes provided by MPD Officers-In-Charge (OIC) at the end of their shifts. Most narratives represent early and preliminary information that was gathered by an OIC from those in the field who were actively working cases. The OIC is sharing what they were being told, in the moment. In many instances, facts and circumstances, even the type of crime listed, can change as officers, detectives and investigators continue their work.
From 6:00 a.m. on 07/19/2019 through 6:00 a.m. on 07/20/2019, MPD received 306 calls for service. This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials. For purposes of clarification, the following abbreviations are short-hand for race designations: W=White, AA=African American, NA=Native American, H=Hispanic, ME=Middle Eastern, A=Asian, MR=Mixed Race, U=Unknown. MPD shifts are staggered as follows: 1st detail=7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2nd detail=12 p.m. to 8 p.m., 3rd detail=3 p.m. to 11 p.m., 4th detail=8 p.m. to 4 a.m., 5th detail=11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
To further break down the 306 calls for service for the past 24-hours, this is how the calls came in per district: Central (82), East (54), Midtown (47), North (41), South (29), West (36), and Other (17). Other=these are calls for service that either do not have a sector listed or the sector is not in the City. For example, if one of our officers assists another law enforcement agency, their sector is not listed in our districts so therefore it is listed under "other".
*** Priority only from 7:25 a.m. to 11:54 p.m. on 07/19 due to high volume of calls and power outage.
1) CENTRAL: Fire/Power Outages – 7:48 a.m. MG&E had a non-intentional explosion on Livingston St./E. Main St. and a secondary explosion at another MG&E site on Regent and Park fifteen minutes later due to the initial explosion. This caused power outages in the Central and North Districts. Many traffic lights were out in the area. 1st detail was held over, and detectives were asked to be in uniform to assist. A command post and the OIC were re-located to the Midtown Station. 2nd detail was held over, and 4th and 5th detail were called in early. The CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) went down, and all dispatching was being done via radio and by hand at the backup dispatch location. Ancillary issues associated with the power outage resulted in suspending normal operations in order to meet compelling needs.
2) CENTRAL: Conveyance – 7:54 p.m. Officers responded to a Gilman St. residence for a Chapter 51 return that was requested by Journey Mental Health. Officers contacted the 69 year-old WM subject and placed him into protective custody, subsequently conveying him to Winnebago Mental Health.
3) MIDTOWN: Death Investigation – 10:03 p.m. Officers responded to a local midtown hospital for a deceased subject (28 year-old WM). The subject had gone to the hospital for health concerns, and upon arrival, collapsed into a seizure and passed away. The death was not deemed suspicious. Investigation continuing.
4) CENTRAL: Damage to Property – 1:48 a.m. Officers responded to Mister Car Wash, 1039 E. Washington Ave., for a triggered alarm. Upon arrival, officers found that a glass door had been smashed. Officers cleared the car wash and are awaiting a key-holder in order to establish what may have been taken. Investigation continuing.